A change in player agents is normally something most teams shrug their collective shoulders about.

But when it’s Auston Matthews who does it, after the way in which his playoff season ended, after two meetings with coach Mike Babcock, with a big contract coming either this summer or next, it raises both questions and concerns in the front office of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

There were telephone calls and text messages aplenty after Matthews left one of hockey’s super-agents, Pat Brisson and the giant CAA firm to join up with Judd Moldaver (who brought him to CAA) and the newly formed Orr-Wasserman agency. The Leafs had a sound relationship with Brisson, who had dinner with Lou Lamoriello during the Boston playoff series, and have historically had a sound relationship with Jeff Jackson, who handles many of the higher-end Orr clients.

What the Leafs want to know: What does this say about Matthews’ loyalty? What does this say about his relationship with Babcock, who tends not to talk to agents? What does this say about his apparent future captain-ship of the Leafs? And what does this say about the disappointing way in which Matthews season ended and the maximum money he is looking for after a playoff disappearance and 20 games lost to injury?

The Leafs adore Matthews, they just know less about him and wonder more about him today than they did yesterday.

THIS AND THAT

Memo to Leaf fans, Oiler fans, just about all hockey fans: It sometimes takes patience to win a Stanley Cup. Alex Ovechkin was drafted 14 years ago. Nicklas Backstrom was drafted 12 years ago. Braden Holtby and John Carlson were drafted 10 years ago. Evgeny Kuznetsov was picked eight years ago. All of them selected — the five most important Capitals — by general manager George McPhee, fired for not being able to win in Washington … The top three scorers in the Stanley Cup playoffs: Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, Backstrom … Strength down the middle matters: The trio of Kuznetsov, Backstrom and Lars Eller combined for 73 playoff points. A year ago, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin had 55 points. The year before that, Crosby, Malkin and Nick Bonino had 55 points. It’s been years and years since any trio of centres has been close to what the three Capitals managed this playoff season … Right shooting defenceman Carlson is a free agent come July. It’s unlikely Washington can afford to keep him. Word around is he’s looking for $8 million a year over eight years, which is P.K. Subban money. It’s too much money and too much term but as Lou Lamoriello likes to say, every contract is too much money and too much term … The biggest surprise of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Vegas aside: The amount of skill in Tom Wilson’s game. Never mind the mindless and reckless hits for a minute. This guy has real finesse for a big man. He made a terrific stretch pass on Jakub Vrana’s breakaway goal.

HEAR AND THERE

In Toronto, Lamoriello traded for Frederik Andersen, who was caught in a situation in Anaheim with too many goalies. In Jersey, Lamoriello traded for Corey Schneider, who was in similar difficulty in Vancouver. Now on Long Island, look for Lamoriello to make a play for Washington backup goalie Philipp Grubauer, who is a restricted free agent, and if Lamoriello gets him, look for him to sign Grubauer long-term with the Islanders … Now playing Bryan Colangelo on Saturday Night Live: Jon Lovitz. Yeah, that’s the ticket … Honestly, before Colangelo got in his mess in Philadelphia, I had no idea what a burner account was on Twitter … We’re going to miss J.A. Happ when he’s traded in July. He’s the Blue Jays MVP this season … Brian Burke is writing a book, which should be fascinating. It won’t necessarily be the truth but it will be his truth … Among coaches who have won the American Hockey League championship: Barry Trotz, Jon Cooper, Peter Laviolette, Bruce Boudreau, John Tortorella. Pretty impressive list … It’s official, Terrell Owens is out of his mind. He complained when he didn’t get quick entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Then, when voted in, he has announced he will not attend the induction ceremonies, which is one of the truly great football days of the year.

SCENE AND HEARD

The great Jose Altuve is hitting .341 after hitting .346 last year and .338 the year before that with Houston. The great Rod Carew once hit .350, .364 and .354 in consecutive seasons … Department of dumb: If LeBron James was doing to injure his hand punching something, shouldn’t the wall have been named J.R. Smith? …Weird, they’re not having any kind of local civic reception to honour the Vegas Golden Knights … For those who are counting, that’s eight championship rings for Steve Kerr, playing and coaching … Sloane Stephens won the U.S. Open last year and lost the French Open on Saturday. Last time I saw her live, she was losing to Genie Bouchard in the first round of the 2016 Olympics in Rio … What does Garth Snow do with his long list he’s been keeping of media people who have slighted him now that he’s been fired as GM of the Islanders …. Devante Smith-Pelly, the robust kid from Scarborough, scored seven playoff goals for Washington, which is more than he has scored in six of his nine NHL regular seasons … An amazing number with Ovechkin, goal scoring aside. In 13 NHL seasons with the Capitals, he’s only missed 29 games. He’s only missed just eight games the past five seasons.

AND ANOTHER THING

There is concern already whether Shohei Ohtani can survive as a big league pitcher. He’s already on the disabled list with a bum elbow. Tommy John surgery is not out of the question. Which is more than unfortunate for the slugging once in a modern era pitcher. For the record, Babe Ruth lasted five seasons pitching — winning 23 and 24 games in his best years — before taking over as baseball’s ultimate slugger … Washington Nationals, with 10 players on the disabled list, lead the National League East and played host to the Stanley Cup Friday night … Kendrys Morales, stealing $11 million a year batting cleanup for the Blue Jays, has eight hits in his last five games, a sign he is actually breathing, but no home runs and no RBI in that time … Where exactly did this arbitrary 100-pitch count came from? And does anybody know, pitcher to pitcher, arm to arm, whether it has any real meaning? … Kyle Dubas’ first official trade as Leafs general manager. Nolan Vesey to Edmonton for a conditional seventh round draft pick. Truth is, Leafs have had some success with seventh round picks, especially those from Sweden like Andreas Johnsson, Carl Gunnarsson and Anton Stralman … What happens first, Dwane Casey gets a coaching job or the Raptors hire Casey’s replacement? … Happy birthday to Zach Hyman (26), Brent Sutter (56), Dan Fouts (67), Ken Singleton (71), Mark Henry (47), Kate Upton (26) and Kurt Walker (64) … And hey, whatever became of Harold Baines?

BIG MONEY FOR TROTZ — BUT WHICH TEAM IS PAYING?

Barry Trotz is not among the highest paid coaches in NHL. In fact, he’s not even close to the Mike Babcocks or the Joel Quennevilles on the salary scale but he’s about to get some kind of raise of sorts.

The question is, will it be in Washington, where the Capitals just won the Stanley Cup, or on Long Island, where Lou Lamoriello has taken over the Islanders hockey operation or maybe in Minnesota, where new general manager Paul Fenton is an old Trotz advocate from their time together in Nashville?

Trotz was clearly not happy when the Capitals didn’t re-sign him prior to the final year of his contract in Washington and it has factored in the relationship between him and general manager Brian MacLellan. On the night the Caps won the Cup, both Trotz and MacLellan said all the right things and the GM talked about re-signing his coach for the coming years.

It may not be that easy.

Trotz knows he has all kinds of leverage now — something he’s never really had before — and may want to play the free-agent game just to see what may be available come July 1, when his contract expires. MacLellan is in a tough position here, because he may not adore Trotz as a coach, but how do you explain to your rather large fan base that the guy who just won you a Stanley Cup may not be returning?

Pressure from ownership may factor here. Meanwhile, Lamoriello is waiting, at least until he gets word on Trotz’s status, before proceeding with his coaching search with the Islanders. And what’s not known here is what Fenton thinks of Bruce Boudreau in Minnesota.

Whatever happens, the $1.5 million Trotz earned in his 19th NHL season, could well be tripled with his next contract, no matter where that will be.

STANLEY CUP ISN’T HARDEST TROPHY TO WIN

People like to call the Stanley Cup the hardest trophy in sports to win. In pushing through four rounds of playoffs, that assumption may be correct.

But if the number of championship winners means anything, it is far more difficult to win in the NBA than it is to win in the NHL.

The Golden State Warriors won the championship again on Friday night, their third title of the past four years. If you go back to 1980, before the great Boston Celtics run and in the midst of another Montreal Canadiens dynasty, only 11 teams have won the Larry O’Brien Trophy in a 38-year period. Seventeen different franchises have won in the NHL, and six of those, including the Washington Capitals, have been one-time champions.

One and done champions.

Only two of the NBA titlists since 1980 have been one-time winners — the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James and the Dallas Mavericks, with Dwane Casey coming up with the defence to stop LeBron in that final.

Since 1980, the Los Angeles Lakers have won nine NBA crowns, followed by the six won by the Chicago Bulls, who might have won more had it not been for Michael Jordan’s semi-forced retirement. Edmonton still leads with five Stanley Cups since 1980, ahead of four by the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings.

In a league where stars mean everything, the hardest trophy to win is the one nobody remembers the name of unless you happen to be related to the late Larry O’Brien.

YOUR TORONTO BLUE JAYS

The Blue Jays are an equal opportunity non-contender. They have lousy pitching, lousy hitting and lousy defence in this season going nowhere. The statistics are rather clear across the board for a team taking advantage of the even worse Baltimore Orioles.

This Jays team, to be honest, appears worse than the club which almost went wire-to-wire in last place a year ago in the American League East.

Offensively, the Jays are ninth in the American League in runs scored, 14th in hits, 13th in batting average, 12th in on-base percentage (every baseball man’s favourite number), 11th in OPS. But dang, they are sixth in home runs. So there is that.

Kevin Pillar, hitting .261, is leading the club in batting average.

Pitching wise, the Jays are 11th in the AL in earned run average, 12th in batting average against, 4th in most walks given up, last in quality starts (from a starting rotation I thought was Top 10 in all of baseball), 4th in most hits given up, 5th in most home runs relinquished.

Defensively, and depending on which statistics you believe in, the Jays are somewhere around 11th in the AL with their gloves.

You can win, sometimes, when you can hit. You can usually win with pitching and defence. You can’t win when you can’t hit, can’t pitch, can’t play quality defence. These are your Toronto Blue Jays. Biggest attendance drop in Major League Baseball. For the moment, hot.

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